Simple VHF UHF Hotel Room Setup for Ham Radio

Taking the VHF UHF pack that I assembled out for a test in a hotel room. Features the Yaesu FT70D and the N9TAX Slim-Jim.

[@UncleTerry]

New Ham operator here (KK7HME). Took my tech exam on field day in June. became official on the 19th of July.

[@k2cjbradio]

Welcome to the hobby!

[@stuarthall3874]

I like your setup very much. I have the same antenna hanging up in my first-floor apartment and am amazed at how well I can get my signal out. Watching your video brought up my old frustrations at rarely getting responses when I put my call sign out there. One ham told me a few years ago that if I wanted a contact, I should just say so. If I just say that I'm "listening", that is all that I'm saying. Now if I'm looking for a contact I say, "This is on repeater just looking for a contact. Is anybody out there? This is on repeater and listening." My response rate went from single digits to around 95%. I think the key things are to say my call sign slow enough for someone to hear, state what repeater I am on (many people are scanning through a number of repeaters when listening), state specifically that I am looking for a contact, and then repeat my callsign and repeater again. It would be interesting to do a comparison video between the two approaches. Thanks for your video. It is encouraging and inspirational to see people trying to activate the airwaves. I would not be a ham today if it were not for people like you putting up videos on KZbin.

[@k2cjbradio]

I’m so glad you’re active! That’s great to hear! I had never thought about actually asking for a contact. Guess I’m showing my age. Back in the day “listening” was sort of equivalent to CQ. Thanks for the tip!

[@MrTPF1]

In my area (Southern CA), even if you ask for anyone out there, unless you're part of "the circle of regulars", they won't answer too often. In other areas of the country, folks will pick up the call almost every time.

[@Zombified-]

Thank you for showing the simplicity of the slim-jim antenna! I've been debating between that and the Ed-Fong but the N9TAX is looking pretty good! Thanks again!

[@oldpreach]

Nice! Love that clip. Works on outside balconies too. I really like to bring an HT on road trips with hotel room stays. Made nice friends and contacts that way! I really like bringing one with APRS.

[@thuff3207]

Nice setup and thank you for showing an option for roll up Jpole antenna.

[@k2cjbradio]

Thanks for watching!

[@CanadianDrifter777]

Thanks for putting this video up! I’m leaning towards ordering this antenna for exactly this kind of thing that you demonstrated. 73!

[@k2cjbradio]

Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!

[@hellofriend4545]

use to do this all the time when staying at hotel with office colleagues during working trip which made them hard to get a sleep 😂 bring back memories..

[@tangobayus]

A dipole for UHF is about 1 foot long. I made one mounted on 1/2" PVC. I think there may be more traffic on UHF than VHF these days.

[@timg5tm941]

Love this Chris!!! Great idea, 73.

[@k2cjbradio]

Thanks Tim! Looking forward to Saturday’s livestream!

[@timg5tm941]

@@k2cjbradio me too .. looking forward to meeting you guys

[@2E0LMI]

Good video. Made one of those antennas for my loft/attic. For what it is, it works surprisingly well.

[@k2cjbradio]

Yes it does!

[@1crazynordlander]

One of the first V/U antennas I bought . I got the U/V one and the GMRS one.

[@k2cjbradio]

He makes a great product! The one in this video is my second one. First one lives with my FT817 pack.

[@davidhelmes9587]

A great idea for a video.

[@k2cjbradio]

Thanks!

[@franciscolopez3229]

Great simple go to setup you may say for some contacts sir and you'll never know when an emergency may occur, which I hope not. DW1-QEW.

[@K0BJJ]

Honestly a stock rubber ducky worked for me in Las Vegas on the 11th floor of the Luxor. Made about a 15 mile Simplex contact.

[@k2cjbradio]

I probably would’ve done fine that way too. This exercise was to test the concept. Thanks for checking it out!

[@M7XCB]

I've got the same antenna I've made it last year just for experiment as I love making antennas I was surprised with how well it works I've made 4m in slim jim in 450 ladder line works fantastic.

[@k2cjbradio]

Excellent! I was too lazy to make my own so I got this one from N9TAX on ebay. It’s the second one of his antennas I have. The other one is in my POTA pack.

[@pnowikow]

Our local repeaters are also VERY quiet. I am hoping to find more people on the digital wires-x networks

[@rogersubieta7459]

Very nice comunication 73 for you

[@k2cjbradio]

Thanks! Not bad for the first time I used my little travel pack.

[@kevinwelch2885]

Its like fishing, isn't it? Sometimes they're biting, sometimes they are'nt.

[@k2cjbradio]

Exactly! But, things finally worked on this trip.

[@neilspector9221]

I was thinking the same exact thing this morning. Fishing is a fantastic analogy.

[@vrb1960]

Just a suggestion there’s probably several local hams monitoring all those repeaters and if they’re like me if they hear you Kerchunk a repeater and then another and then another and then another that may be a problem for those scanning local repeaters ,just a suggestion you might try identifying instead of kerchunking the repeater 73, Have fun

[@k2cjbradio]

Could be. I left the radio on for a while and didn’t hear any other traffic. Might also have been the time of day too.

[@timaustin577]

Great video! J

[@johnwest7993]

I get the impression that there are more people on UHF repeaters than VHF these days. Not that repeaters are very busy since the advent of cellphones.

[@k2cjbradio]

I find that part of it has to do with geography and terrain. Here in CT, things are mostly 2m but there are 70cm and a few 220 machines around.

[@ThomasBoulay]

This is KC1QYD, Greetings from Rhode Island I'm guessing you were in the Warwick/Providence area based on the repeaters you were hitting. I am looking at Slim Jims for my portable setup and judging by this test, i think i am going to go for the N9TAX antenna. 73, Thomas

[@k2cjbradio]

Yes I was. I was at a hotel in Warwick for a conference. The N9TAX is built really well. I have two of them.

[@thewildbunch2782]

Can I use my handheld while on the charger without harming the battery?

[@oldpreach]

You should have put those in memory and scanned.

[@danagreen6518]

james bond?

[@bobrewer202]

I’d have posted a video with better results. Please be respectful of our time. We only have so many minutes to spend on our video viewing. Make it worth it.

[@brucesteele3052]

'My wife's car.' I can relate to that. de w0vet

[@k2cjbradio]

Hahahaha. Yep. No radios or antennas on that car!